Stressed? Take care of yourself

Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 3:42 p.m.

Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life.

Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger — whether it’s real or imagined — the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life — giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you’d rather be watching TV.

Once you begin to feel that you are getting to the point of being overstressed, here are some tips for you to try:

Say no to anything that is not important to you. Give yourself permission to focus on what is important. Getting the nonessential responsibilities off your schedule will not only create some extra time and space, it will also lighten the burden you are feeling.

Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will find that there are people around you who would love to be asked. Make a list of things and post them on the refrigerator. When someone drops by and asks, you will have a list handy of things they can choose from.

Get enough sleep. This old advice is not only essential when it comes to self-care, it is also essential when it comes to being able to do your best. Particularly important when it comes to exam periods and work stress, sleep will help you achieve. It’s easy to think that a few extra hours of work will do you more good, but it won’t. Sleep will.

Eat healthy and green food. Even though it is tempting to pick up something for dinner, take time to cook and eat nutritious and healthy food. Not only will it help you work more effectively, it will also boost your mood.

Take five minutes in the morning to just stretch and breathe. If you start your day in a stressful way, you’ll probably feel stressed for the rest of the day. Try to feel your body and pay attention to your breath.

Walk to ease the frustrations. Even though this is simple, and often we feel we don’t have time to take a walk, this is a great way to walk away those stressors and frustrations. It also gives you an opportunity to be outside and in the fresh air.

Make a plan of everything that needs to be done. Instead of juggling all the things you need to get done, write them down and prioritize them. Then make a plan of how you are going to manage everything before your deadline. Make sure you stick to the plan each day.

Write a daily gratitude list. A daily gratitude list is really helpful to shift your focus and help you appreciate the situation. It doesn’t have to be long — a few sentences will do. If you keep a gratitude journal, you can also look back on your previous entries whenever you need a little boost of happiness and motivation.

Wear your pretty clothes. If you dress nicely, chances are you will feel better too. All it takes is five minutes in the morning, and with your most powerful, wonderful and pretty clothes on, you will feel like a million for the rest of the day.

Take a hot bath. Nothing helps you like a hot bath. Use your favorite bubbles, turn off the light, light some candles and you’re ready to go. One hour in the bath in the evening might be the best way to relax because of this simple fact — you can’t take your work and your computer with you!

Do something silly. Don’t forget to have fun! Make jokes, engage with your co-workers, read comics and just allow yourself to be silly for a little while. It will boost your mood, and a little laughter every day will help you through a really challenging time. And remember it takes fewer muscles to smile and laugh than it does to frown and fret.

Accept yourself as you are. Let yourself off the hook and accept that you are only human. You are doing your absolute best, and you are doing exactly what you need to do. Trust your instincts and keep doing whatever you’re doing. You don’t need to change anything about yourself — trust that you are perfect just the way you are.

Taking care of you, and practicing some of these stress relievers, will be so beneficial. Not only will you feel better, you will be able to function better and take care of everything that you juggle. You will also be able to do a better job.

<p>Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life.</p><p>Stress isn't always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you're constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.</p><p>Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger — whether it's real or imagined — the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.</p><p>The stress response is the body's way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life — giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.</p><p>The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you're attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV.</p><p>Once you begin to feel that you are getting to the point of being overstressed, here are some tips for you to try:</p><p>Say no to anything that is not important to you. Give yourself permission to focus on what is important. Getting the nonessential responsibilities off your schedule will not only create some extra time and space, it will also lighten the burden you are feeling.</p><p>Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask for help. You will find that there are people around you who would love to be asked. Make a list of things and post them on the refrigerator. When someone drops by and asks, you will have a list handy of things they can choose from.</p><p>Get enough sleep. This old advice is not only essential when it comes to self-care, it is also essential when it comes to being able to do your best. Particularly important when it comes to exam periods and work stress, sleep will help you achieve. It's easy to think that a few extra hours of work will do you more good, but it won't. Sleep will.</p><p>Eat healthy and green food. Even though it is tempting to pick up something for dinner, take time to cook and eat nutritious and healthy food. Not only will it help you work more effectively, it will also boost your mood.</p><p>Take five minutes in the morning to just stretch and breathe. If you start your day in a stressful way, you'll probably feel stressed for the rest of the day. Try to feel your body and pay attention to your breath.</p><p>Walk to ease the frustrations. Even though this is simple, and often we feel we don't have time to take a walk, this is a great way to walk away those stressors and frustrations. It also gives you an opportunity to be outside and in the fresh air.</p><p>Make a plan of everything that needs to be done. Instead of juggling all the things you need to get done, write them down and prioritize them. Then make a plan of how you are going to manage everything before your deadline. Make sure you stick to the plan each day.</p><p>Write a daily gratitude list. A daily gratitude list is really helpful to shift your focus and help you appreciate the situation. It doesn't have to be long — a few sentences will do. If you keep a gratitude journal, you can also look back on your previous entries whenever you need a little boost of happiness and motivation.</p><p>Wear your pretty clothes. If you dress nicely, chances are you will feel better too. All it takes is five minutes in the morning, and with your most powerful, wonderful and pretty clothes on, you will feel like a million for the rest of the day.</p><p>Take a hot bath. Nothing helps you like a hot bath. Use your favorite bubbles, turn off the light, light some candles and you're ready to go. One hour in the bath in the evening might be the best way to relax because of this simple fact — you can't take your work and your computer with you!</p><p>Do something silly. Don't forget to have fun! Make jokes, engage with your co-workers, read comics and just allow yourself to be silly for a little while. It will boost your mood, and a little laughter every day will help you through a really challenging time. And remember it takes fewer muscles to smile and laugh than it does to frown and fret.</p><p>Accept yourself as you are. Let yourself off the hook and accept that you are only human. You are doing your absolute best, and you are doing exactly what you need to do. Trust your instincts and keep doing whatever you're doing. You don't need to change anything about yourself — trust that you are perfect just the way you are.</p><p>Taking care of you, and practicing some of these stress relievers, will be so beneficial. Not only will you feel better, you will be able to function better and take care of everything that you juggle. You will also be able to do a better job.</p>